Class D switching amps - Bel Canto

[jaxwired]

Anybody out there using a Class D digital amp? Like the Bel-Canto amps? Just wondering what people think about these. They are usually less expensive than Class A/B amps, light weight by comparison, use less electricity, run totally cool, and are still very powerful. Sounds like a dream right? Yet there seem to be many angry critics of this technology. Thoughts? Thanks.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about:
http://www.wired.com/listening_post/...ass-d-amplifi/

[mlsstl]

I had a Bel Canto S300 for about a year and really liked it. I found it better than the other solid state amps available in that price range. However, I eventually went back to tubes. It was as much psychological as anything - I just like tube amps.

[JohnMichael]

I have been using an Onkyo A 9555 which is a Class D switching integrated amp. I bought it on a whim due to interest in the technology and the buzz it was receiving. I have found it has less electronic sound than the previous Cambridge 640 A I had been using. I am looking at more upscale integrated amps but not in much hurry because the A 9555 is very enjoyable. I do not hear any negative artifacts from the technology in my system.

[Kevio]

It is a complicated technology with the benefits you describe - efficiency, weight, temperature, now often cost too. None of these have much to do with improving audio quality. In fact it used to be that you'd need to consciously sacrifice some performance (usually increased noise) for these benefits. The class D technology has been integrated and refined such that audio performance is now up to what's achievable with AB configurations.

[Feanor]

Anybody out there using a Class D digital amp? Like the Bel-Canto amps? Just wondering what people think about these. They are usually less expensive than Class A/B amps, light weight by comparison, use less electricity, run totally cool, and are still very powerful. Sounds like a dream right? Yet there seem to be many angry critics of this technology. Thoughts? Thanks.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about:
http://www.wired.com/listening_post/...ass-d-amplifi/

I used a Bel Canto eV02i Tripath-based amp for while; it had remarkable resolution and air, the best I've heard in these respects in my admittedly not-extremely extensive experience.

However I do prefer my current Monarch amps that are zero global feedback, high bias AB designs. They have smoother presentation, slightly warmer in the midrange, and are very close in air and resolution.

A year or so ago the pundits at The Absolute Sound review a number of Class D (more properly "switching") amps. They all argeed that these amps did not quite attain the overall excellence of the crème of solid state amps such as Pass Labs offerings. However even the most expensive of the switchers were much cheaper than the top-end s/s models that provide their benchmark. For what it's worth, the best liked switching amp was the Spectron model they tried.

By the way, *here* is a list of Class D/switching amp providers from an AA Inmate.

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[hifitommy]

john ulrich, one of the founders of infinity systems. it makes sense that he might have the best one.

channel islands audio amps like the d200s are also quite good. my friend was using them on the maggie mg12s and i first heard them driving von schweikert spks of the $60k variety.

certainly worth considering.

[minimus]

I am not a fan of the Class D amps I have heared. I demo'd the Bel Canto Ref 1000 alongside Ayre, Meridian, and McIntosh amps at similar price points. I was with my wife and 10-year old daughter, and we couldn't wait for the salesperson to turn off the Bel Canto. The claim that the Bel Canto is tube-like seems ludicrous. All I could hear out of the Bel Canto was pronounced mid-range, and it didn't have tube "magic". If you want a Class D amp, the best option is the Wyred 4 Sound, which uses the same B&O modules as the Bel Canto at a much lower price. Wyred 4 Sound also offers a 30-day return policy, so if Class D is not for you, you can always return it. But definitely demo a Bel Canto or any other Class D before buying. Don't just trust what reviewers say.

[hifitommy]

with the demo. even the best of them can set something up wrong. i believe you heard what you heard but like i said in the title.

[hifitommy]

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue44/spectron.htm

spectron is the company started by john ulrich, inventor of the class d amp.

[nightflier]

I have had many class-D amps in my home at one time or another and can honestly say that quality varies a lot and price doesn't tell the whole story. For example, I am currently taking a Rotel amp for a spin and frankly I'm a bit underwhelmed, it doesn't quite compare to my Spectron (which is a very old model, BTW). BelCanto is OK and a decent value, but I got much more mileage out of PS Audio's GC* series. Then again their current Trio and older amps are also not stellar - OK, but not stellar.

What Class-D does well is bass - tight, fast, and powerfull. To get good midrange and especially treble, you need to spend quite a bit more. Even then, I've talked to a few people who say the best combination is a bi-amp combination with tubes powering the mids & treble and a class-D to fill out the bass. Of course, that also makes for a lot of auditioning to find the right synergy.

To answer your question, yes the BelCanto is a decent amp, but there's better out there. The bigger questions are what else is in your system and what are you hoping to achieve?